By the bright red fire, the pot on the low table emitted an enticing aroma of meat. Ray held a soup spoon in his left hand, slowly sipping the meat soup, while Roy sat across from him, smoking a cigarette.
"Ray, although it's the rule in Paradise League not to ask about the past, we can't ignore what happened before you joined. You and that old bastard Nerio suddenly ran away two years ago and left the grocery store unattended. We need to know what happened," Ray said, smoking a cigarette while listening.
"Well, there are some personal grudges with the teacher that I wanted to understand."
"Oh, I see," Roy replied, exhaling smoke. Although it was not uncommon in Paradise League, it still happened as everyone had some past.
"So, did that old bastard Nerio die or not?" Roy asked. Ray remembered the words his teacher said before they parted ways.
"Well, kid, I need to take care of some personal matters with a bunch of useless people. Whether it works out or not, I can't stay on the human continent. Anyway, you're doing fine on your own now, so go on your own. Don't worry about me, I can't die," Ray shook his head and said, "I haven't seen him since."
"Oh, so he's dead. Well, it's good that the old troublemaker is dead. He was the most annoying in Paradise League. He messed with those who had designs on your family's grocery store, and they all ended up in the back mountain dung pit. He was ruthless," Roy said, throwing his cigarette butt into the fire and lighting another one.
"He also owed me three pigs. Damn it, even thinking about it is annoying! But forget about him. How about you, Ray? You got hurt badly this time, probably got involved with someone formidable, right? Are you going back to Paradise League?" Roy asked, taking out two hard bread rolls from a basket and handing them to Ray.
Ray just shook his head and remained silent.
"Well, it's probably better not to go back. Paradise League is not what it used to be. It's been so many years, and you grew up here all by yourself. The beasts in the frozen forest to the north are getting stronger, with less than three out of ten mercenaries coming back alive. It's even rarer to find someone passing through!" Roy squinted his eyes and looked at Ray.
"When you and that old troublemaker Nerio came, you were just a little taller than this table. Now you've become so strong. When I was young, I also got into trouble with many people, but I thought I could fight, I was powerful, and did a lot of despicable things. But in the end, I had to hide here. However, my strongest time was probably not even half of what you are now. Nerio really had a good apprentice," Roy said.
Ray silently dipped the bread into the meat soup and ate. He then glanced at Roy, put down his spoon, and conjured a bottle of wine from thin air, placing it on the low table.
Roy's eyelids twitched, and he took out two glasses from under the table.
"Imperial Tulip wine that's been aged for 30 years. Kid, you've got some good stuff! Remember to leave some for me when you leave! Consider it as medical expenses," Roy skillfully opened the bottle and savored the aroma.
"It reminds me of when I was young, at the Duke's summer banquet in the Empire. Beautiful and elegant noble ladies danced gracefully, and fireworks bloomed in the sky. The scent of iris flowers filled the air. I drank this kind of wine back then!" After finishing his sentence, he poured two glasses.
"Cheers, Ray! Let's have a toast!"
"Ah, very nice!" Ray finished his glass and glanced at Roy, saying, "You're still injured, so don't drink anymore." He then put away his glass and filled another one for himself.
"Youth is great! Full of sunny memories." Roy put away his wine glass, closed the bottle tightly, and carried the wine as he walked out. Before leaving, he said, "I'll go have a drink with old John. Getting older, we can only rely on memories to live. You go to sleep after you finish eating."
Ray was left alone, staring into the fire, lost in thought.
~~~
"As we grow older, we always reminisce about our youth – the girls, the battles, the places we've been, the sights we've seen."
Under the sunset fortress, a light drizzle began to fall. Lundscheid and another elderly man with white hair stood on top of the city wall, watching the solemn funeral ceremony below.
"When this fortress was just built, those old guys stood in this same spot watching us. Now, we've become the old guys, standing here watching the young ones. Suddenly, I can understand how they felt back then," Lundscheid continued.
"Stark is an outstanding team, but I don't know how many will survive this war.""You're still too soft-hearted, Sted. Only after enduring the storms can we obtain the true gold. How many comrades have we lost along the way to reach this point? Without experiencing life and death, how can one become a qualified general? You shouldn't have sheltered them like this."
The funeral procession had already started below, and a woman wearing a black veil and dressed in a black gown had fainted from crying. She was tightly embraced by her husband. That was Gowen's mother, the Duchess of Volante in the Brelloian Empire. On the other side, the Dreke family was also sobbing uncontrollably.
"You're right, Your Highness Hart. The Starstone we have now is just a raw ore. It must go through the hottest flames and countless polishing to become a dazzling gem."
"What about that kid under Chris? Still no news?"
Lond Sted merely shook his head.
"I see. He's only 16 years old, an SSS level fighter who has been through countless battles. How young he is! I wonder how many SSS-level powerhouses Chris still has under his control. He's as cunning as ever!"
"These years, the secret operations of the Holy See have offended many powers, especially those shadowy executioners who carry out all the covert missions. Since the exposure of Blackblade's identity a few years ago, he died a tragic death far from home. It was necessary, Chris."
"There have been reports that Blackheart has been appearing frequently on the endless desert sea outside the western border of the Bart Ray Kingdom. I wonder what Chris is up to." Hart put on his top hat. The memorial service had already begun, and as the former king of Layne, he needed to deliver a stirring speech. Before stepping off the platform, he couldn't help but turn back and say,
"No matter how resolute and cold-hearted one may be, they can't escape their own selfishness in the end! My granddaughter, Ania, I'm counting on you, Sted."
